ERIC ED611005: Skills for an Inclusive Economic Recovery: An Agenda for President Biden and Congress

2020·25.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

SKILLS FOR AN
INCLUSIVE
ECONOMIC
RECOVERY
An Agenda for President Biden and Congress
nationalskillscoalition.org
ABOUT
NATIONAL
SKILLS
COALITION
Jobs that require skills advocacy, and cutting-edge
training are the backbone of communications, NSC has
our economy. National Skills changed hundreds of state and
Coalition fights for a national federal skills policies that have
commitment to inclusive, changed thousands of lives and
high-quality skills training grown local businesses and
so that more people have economies.
access to a better life, and We build networks
more local businesses see representing businesses,
sustained growth. Since 2000, workers, colleges, community
through expert analysis and organizations, public officials,
technical assistance, broad- and advocates. We engage
based organizing, targeted these networks
3 | SKILLS FOR AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC RECOVERY
to craft policy proposals JOBS THAT
and mobilize them to win
REQUIRE
concrete policy change.
Our networks include SkillSPAN
SKILLS
(20 affiliate state coalitions),
Business Leaders United TRAINING
for Workforce Partnerships
ARE THE
(thousands of small and
medium-sized business BACKBONE
owners and 7 state affiliates),
OF OUR
and Voices for Skills (tens of
thousands of workers and
ECONOMY.
grassroots skills advocates).
4
AN ELECTORATE
THAT’S CALLING
ON WASHINGTON
TO ACT
Our country faces the most devastating Our vision: An inclusive economic
economic crisis since the Great Depression, recovery is an expansion of the U.S.
and National Skills Coalition stands with the economy in which the workers and
working people and local businesses who businesses who were most impacted by
have been most impacted by the pandemic’s this recession, as well as workers who were
economic fallout. Equitable opportunities previously held back by structural barriers
for working people and local businesses to of discrimination or lack of opportunity,
participate in and benefit from a rebound and are empowered to equitably participate
possible expansion of our economy are not in and benefit from the economy’s
fated; they are determined by decisions made expansion and restructuring. We believe
in Washington, D.C. a set of expansive, industry- and worker-
NSC’s member businesses, labor- targeted skills policies at both the federal
management partnerships, community and state levels, accompanied by the
organizations, community colleges, necessary income and social service
education and workforce experts are supports to keep workers and businesses
calling on the President and Congress to whole during this transition, must be part
be our partner in building an inclusive of the strategy in pursuit of that goal.
economic recovery that addresses the In our 2020 call to action, Skills for An
disproportionate impact of the economic Inclusive Economic Recovery, National
crisis on workers of color, immigrants, Skills Coalition put forward this vision as
and workers with a high school diploma or well as a set of principles and policy goals
less; the essential role of small businesses that should drive our nation’s skills policy
who hire locally and invest in their response. In this federal agenda we offer a
people but need policymakers to be their set of specific legislative responses – each
partner; and the moral and economic supported by over 70 percent of voters –
imperative to dismantle the structural that the President and Congress can enact
racism within workforce education immediately to help realize this vision.
and training systems that hold back America cannot train its way out of
workers, businesses, and the economy. an economic crisis, nor can skills policy
5 | SKILLS FOR AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC RECOVERY
PRINCIPLES FOR AN INCLUSIVE
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
• Invest in those • Industry-specific
first who have partnerships with
been hurt most small businesses
at the table
• Eliminate
structural racism • Measure the
in skills policies impacts of our
interventions and
• Better jobs hold ourselves
than before the accountable
pandemic
• Sustainable
careers vs. just
a job
Read more in NSC’s Skills for An Inclusive
Economic Recovery: A Call for Action,
Equity and Accountability
shoulder alone the weight of a more inclusive
economy. Inclusive skills policy on its own
will not dismantle structural racism, bring
economic security to every worker, or
ignite sustainable growth for every small
business. A web of policies and practices
contributes to these goals. But skills policy
has an essential role to play and must be
part of our nation’s path forward. That’s
why 84 percent of unemployed voters
want Congress to immediately increase
investments in training to support their
journey back into the workforce.
6
FEDERAL AGENDA:
AN OVERVIEW
NSC has developed an eight-part agenda that Congress can follow
immediately to help more U.S. workers and businesses be part of
an inclusive economic recovery. Not only are these proposals
good policy, validated by the real-world expertise of our members,
but according to a national poll, each proposal is supported by
over 70 percent of voters.
7 | SKILLS FOR AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC RECOVERY
1 2 3
A SAFETY NET THAT A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLICLY FUNDED JOB
SUPPORTS WORKERS’ APPROACH TO RE-TRAINING CREATION THAT INCLUDES
LONG-TERM PATHWAY TO AND RE-EMPLOYMENT FOR TRAINING FOR THOSE IN
A SKILLED CAREER ALL DISPLACED WORKERS NEED OF A NEW CAREER
Remove barriers to our nation’s Guarantee income, healthcare, Ensure job creation efforts, such
safety net for all workers, training, and re-employment as those around infrastructure
including those impacted by support for any worker who or an expanded public health
the pandemic, and make it loses a job due to economic workforce to fight the pandemic,
a foundation for new career disruptions such as pandemics, include investments in skills
pathways. automation, or trade. that expand access to long-term
careers for local workers.
4 5
SUPPORT TO LOCAL SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS TO
BUSINESSES TO AVERT DRIVE INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC
LAYOFFS AND ENCOURAGE TRAINING AND HIRING
UPSKILLING STRATEGIES
Subsidize small and mid-sized Support the partnerships that
businesses to avert layoffs, communities need to develop
keep their employees paid, and training strategies targeting
support their re-training during the specific needs of individual
down-time. industries and the local
workforce.
6 7 8
DIGITAL ACCESS AND HIGH QUALITY, JOB-READY PUBLIC DATA AND
LEARNING FOR ALL EDUCATION FOR THOSE WHO ACCOUNTABILITY REGARDING
WORKING PEOPLE AT NEED TO RE-ENTER THE WHO IS BEING INCLUDED IN
HOME AND ON THE JOB LABOR MARKET, INCLUDING THIS RECOVERY
Eliminate barriers by making MAKING COLLEGE WORK FOR Report data on how different
high-quality digital learning WORKING PEOPLE workers and businesses are
available to all workers. Increase system capacity and faring in the recovery and hold
expand access to high quality, policies accountable to equitable
industry driven education and outcomes for those most
training that prepares workers impacted.
for good jobs.
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FEDERAL AGENDA
A safety net that supports
workers’ long-term pathway
to a skilled career
Remove barriers to our what might be an extended
nation’s safety net for all pathway back into the labor
workers, including those market. Millions of workers
impacted by the pandemic, have lost their paychecks,
and make it a foundation putting their basic needs
for new career pathways. like healthcare, food, and
housing in jeopardy. And
The pandemic and resulting what was clear before the
recession have underscored pandemic is clearer now:
the need for a better safety Forcing people into low-wage
net to protect people from jobs as a condition of safety
immediate hardship as well as net programs hurts workers
to give them time to get on and limits their access to
9 | SKILLS FOR AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC RECOVERY
education and training,
stymies businesses looking to
hire trained workers, and hurts
local economies.
To engage in education and
training for a family supporting
job, a person’s basic needs –
food, housing, medical care, and
childcare – must be met. That
means our nation’s safety net
programs have a transformative
opportunity: To help millions of
individuals who can and want
to train for a family-sustaining
career but need supports
along the way. Congress can
permanently remove barriers
to our nation’s safety net for
all workers, including those
CONGRESS
impacted by the pandemic, and
make it a foundation for new CAN
career pathways.
PERMANENTLY
The American people
believe our nation’s safety net
REMOVE
should provide opportunities,
not barricades. Eighty-five BARRIERS TO
percent of voters want it to be
OUR NATION’S
easier for people who receive
public assistance to get skills SAFETY NET
training, so they can find a
FOR ALL
new job. Two-thirds of small
and mid-sized business owners
WORKERS.
feel the same.
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MAKE IT HAPPEN
EXPAND ACCESS TO SNAP E&T: With the onset of the recession, the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program has served as a critical lifeline for struggling families,
with a 16 percent increase in total participants between March and April 2020. Many newly
unemployed adults enrolling in SNAP could benefit from access to education and training
opportunities supported under the SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program, but
federal policymakers must take additional steps to ensure the broadest possible range of
individuals are able to take advantage of these upskilling opportunities.
• Eliminate work requirements for SNAP • Expand SNAP eligibility for
benefits. Recent regulatory changes have postsecondary students attending more
sought to make it harder to make it harder than half time. With some exceptions,
to participate in SNAP, including efforts current law prohibits students who are
to limit state discretion to waive work enrolled in postsecondary institutions on
requirements during hard times. Work a more-than-half-time basis from receiving
requirements reflect false and often racist SNAP benefits. In an economy where many
perceptions of public assistance recipients adults will need new skills or credentials
and research has shown that these to transition into new jobs or industries,
requirements have a disproportionate this provision forces students to choose
impact on people of color. While some between enrolling in the right program and
of these efforts have been held up by putting food on the table. Congress should
Congress and the courts, it’s time for remove these barriers so that all students
lawmakers to permanently eliminate who need access to SNAP can qualify.
work requirements under SNAP to ensure
recipients aren’t denied access to critical
nutrition benefits.
• Expand funding for E&T programs.
In the most recent reauthorization of
SNAP, Congress increased state formula
funding for SNAP E&T from $90 million to
$110 million. Given the significant increase
in SNAP participation, lawmakers should
increase state formula grants to allow for
the development and expansion of proven
workforce strategies. Congress should
also increase the 50 percent federal share
of reimbursements to states for costs
related to training.
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